Chairman’s Message For the fourth consecutive year, Malaysia was placed on the US State Department’s Tier 2 Watch List on human trafficking. The ranking was attributed to the lack of significant progress by the Government in addressing human trafficking compared to the previous year. As a member of the Council of Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants, the Commission took an active part in providing input on matters like shelter audits, standard operating procedures and a risk management survey. Following the public release of its Report of the National Inquiry into the Land Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Malaysia (NI Report), the Commission had intended to undertake initiatives towards the implementation of recommendations contained in the Report. However, before it could proceed, the Government announced its decision to establish a National Task Force to study the NI Report. In welcoming the Government’s decision to set up the Task Force, the Commission stressed the importance of early and effective implementation of the recommendations. In its view, it is imperative that the issues be resolved expeditiously, given the long-standing nature of the problems and resulting disenchantment among Indigenous Peoples. The Commission sustained a high profile in engaging regional and international human rights bodies, particularly the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council (HRC). Among the significant developments were its participation in Malaysia’s second review under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and election as the Chair of the Commonwealth Forum on National Human Rights Institutions. The Commission believes that international human rights treaties are the primary framework in reflecting national commitment to global standards. Given Malaysia’s poor record in acceding to the core international human rights treaties – having done so for only three out of nine UN instruments – the Commission sees the need for the process to be expedited. The Government should begin with the four treaties to which it committed to accede during the first cycle of its UPR, namely, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination; and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. Given Malaysia’s membership and active participation in the UN and its organs, such as the HRC until recently, and its current bid for a seat on the Security Council, there are compelling reasons for it to be an exemplary nation in upholding human rights. This is not only for the sake of respecting human rights, but also to assist Malaysia’s aspiration to achieve developed status by the end of the decade. The Commission is mindful of the challenges faced by Malaysia in the realm of human rights, especially given the misconception among some groups that this is a ‘western-driven agenda’ and their calls for Malaysia not to succumb to pressure to comply with what they consider to be ‘alien’ human rights standards. Although everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion, it is regrettable that such groups fail to understand that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a Declaration that encompasses all aspects of human rights that Malaysia, as a Member State of the United 2